Power-operated doll eye and lid mechanism



Dec. 1, 1953 G. H. JENTZEN OPERATED DOLL EYE AND LID MECHANISM POWER- Filed Sept. 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m m m m GE ofieE JENTZVEN Dec. 1, 1953 G. H. JENTZEN 2,660,830

POWER-OPERATED DOLL EYE AND LID MECHANISM Filed Sept. 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8f 6 85 a 82 i86 8 D 84 w) 80 I 7/ T76 -l g n15, 6w

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66 r 7/ GEORGE H. JENTZEN 7/ 8 77 By Patented Dec. 1, 1953 OF F ICE POWER-OPERATED DOLL EYE AND LID MECHANISM George H. J entzen, Hasbrouck Heights, N. J.

Application September 25, 1950, Serial No. 186,571

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in dolls, mannequins and display devices and more particularly to variable rolling and blinking eyes for the same.

One object of the'in'vention is the provision of control means for the eyes of a doll, mannequin or display device which means effects variable, predetermined amounts of rolling of the eyes.-

Another object of the invention is the provision of eyelashes and lids for the said eyes which are automatically moved to close the eyes slowly and which snap back quickly to normal position to open the eyes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide simple and eifective means for effecting the desired eye and eyelid movements.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a dolls head to which a form of the invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the said head.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the head on line 33 of Fig. 2 with the mechanism of the invention being indicated diagrammatically.

Fig. 4 is a frontal view of said mechanism removed from the dolls head.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the mechanism with some parts broken away.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on line i? of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a detached fragmentary, somewhat diagrammatic perspective view of a portion of the mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a frontal elevation of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the mechanism of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on about line l2-l2 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view on line I3-i3 of Fig. 12.

The variable eyes, according to the first-form of the present invention shown in Figs. 1 to 8, are illustrated mounted in a hollow dolls head having therein a pair of eye holes 26 and having the rear portion 2? thereof separate from the front but connected thereto; By means of the separable rear head portion 27 the mechanism of the invention is mountable within thehead on suitable blocks 30 and 3! secured in the latter by means of gluing or the like. As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, the said mechanism, generally designated 32, is mounted in such manner that the same is inclined rearwardly somewhat, this position adapting the eye portions thereof tothe holes 26 most beneficially.

The mechanism 32 may be of the mechanically powered type shown in Figs. 4-8 or of the electrically powered type shown in Figs. 9-l3. The former type will be described first.

Referring to Figs. 4-8 the mechanically powered mechanism comprises a spring motor mounted between a frame plate 34 and a cover bracket 35 on a shaft 36, said motor having a key stem 3i projecting from the same through a suitable tube 38 fixed in the lower part of the rear head portion 21 as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 3. Thus said stem projects from the head 25 to allow of motor 33 being wound up in familiar fashion. Fixed on the shaft 36 is a large gear 40 which meshes with a much smaller gear 4| on a shaft 42, said shaft having thereon another larger idler gear :13 which meshes with a spindle gear 44. Te spindle gear 44 is connected by an idler gear 45 with another spindle gear 46 having fixed on the end thereof a'stopping propeller 41. The construction is such that any object placed in the path of propeller 4'! immediately halts the motor 33 because of the high gear reduction between the two. For this purpose a wire lever such as that shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 may have its handle located outside of the head 25 and may have a horizontal portion guided in a loop 50 formed off the bracket 35, and a bent off end 5l projectable'into the path of the propeller 41, see also Fig. '7.

The shafts 36 and 42 project through the frame plate 34, the former having secured on the end thereof a cam 52 and the latter a disc- 53. As best shown Fig. 4 the cam 52 is provided with a series of humps 54 spaced different distances apart and each projecting a different distance from the center thereof. The periphery of cam 52 is engaged by a pin 55 in a lever 56 pivoted to frame plate 34 at 51. A spring 58 maintains engagement of the pin 55 with cam 52. On either side of the shaft 42 a U-shaped bracket 60 has its base secured to the plate 34 and its arms projecting outward therefrom one above the other. Between the ends of the arms of each bracket Ell-is a glass or plastic hemispherical eye ball 6! having upper and lower pivot pins. 62 j ournalled in the arms. Projecting rearward from each eye ball 65 is a link 63, both links being inter.- connected at. their rear ends by a universal'wire bar 64. As best shown in Fig. 5 the bar 64 is looped about a pint? projecting from the upper end of the follower lever 56 described above.

:-- A bracket 66 is secured to the frame-plate 34 above the shaft 42 and has a pair of depending arms 67 located on opposite sides of but forward of the disc 53, said arms serving as journal supports for a pivot rod or spindle '68 whose ends lie adjacent the inner edges of the eye balls 61. Fixed on each end of spindle 58 is the inner edge of a crescent shape eyelid ll! which normallycovers the upper part of the associated eyeball 6|. Suitable strands of hair are fixed to the forward edge of each eye-lid'to form eye-lashes H Between the arms 6'! the spindle '68 has fixed thereon a lever 12 whose one end is held against a limit stop 13 by a spring M to maintain the eyelids in their normal positions. The other end of lever 3-2 is positioned in the path of a 13111- rality of pins Toprojecting from the face of disc '53.

The construction is such that as. disc 53 rotates each pin 75 rocks the lever 12 slowly to lower the eye-lids 10 over the fronts of the eye-balls 6I ,-'said lids being snappedback to their normal positions by spring l4- when the pin disengages the lever.

In order to make successive movements of the eye-lids l6 vary in amount and in time duration, the: lever 12 has the end thereof :acted on :by the pins 15 foreshortened at one side andthe pins 7=5 are spaced different distances from the center' of disc 53 and are of tdifierent lengths, see also Fig. 8.

It will be seen thereforethat simple and efli- 'cient mechanicallypowered means have been provided to roll the eyeballs 6.! and also to blink the eye-lids 10, said rolling and blinking movements being variable in amount and time duration.

Referring now to Figs. 9 to 13 the electrically powered mechanism will. be described, such description utilizing the same reference numerals as-above, with'a prime added insofar as they are applicable.

in this form of the invention the eyeballs 62!" maybe-complete tear-drop shaped spheres which aregpivotally mounted in the samermanner-as described above but have wire loops i5 projecting fromtheir rear ends and engaged by upturned ends of a universal wire bar 64 substantially identical with the bar 64. Bar 64" :likeithe' bar M is looped around a pin '65 projecting from a follower lever 56 pivoted at 51'. The follower lever 56' is like-the follower lever 56 in .all respects'exc'ept that it is located slightly differently. Likesleverififi, the lever 56 is actedupon Joya-cam 52-on ashaft 36' and substantially'identical with the cam 52.

The eye-lids l0 of the modified construction are identical with those described .and like the latter are fixed on the end of a spindle -68' jour- .nalled in a bracket 66. Spindle 68, however, carriesan arm" to which is .pivotally connected :adepending link 78 secured at its upper end-to the armatureBO of anelectromagnet 8i. Themagnet armature is held in its normal position by a :sprin'g=3:2 which also holds the eyelids i=0 in-normal position. Magnet Bl is "mounted" on a frame .plate Bit/which is supported by legs :84- above .a fframeplate 34 on which the-main .portiomof the mechanism is :moun'tedian'd which Le -substantially like theifr'ame plate describedabove. The operation' of magnet :81 is controlled-:by a pair of electrical contacts 85" mounted onJand insulated from the frame plate .34, and interposed one of 'the 'line'leads 86 from an outlet plug, 8.1 to the magnet. The contacts 85 are closed to operate the magne'tiby the engagement of pins Fliil projecting late'rally fromthe humps.=54' of camiZ with an ear 90 bent up from the uppermost contact. The humps 54' project difiering distances from the centerwof cam 52' and thereiore the pins 88 can be located differing distancesfrom the center of the cam to vary the amount of time the con tacts are closed by each pin.

The. shaft 361 is driven slowly by an ordinary synchronous clock motor 9| mounted behind the frame plate 34 and connected directly with the plug 81 bythe leads 8'6. Thus when the plug is connected with asuitable source of electric power, the motor 9| immediately begins to rotate the shaft 36 and the cam 52' thereon.

In order to secure the electrically powered mechanism in the dolls head, the frame plates 341 and 83 may beholted to the blocks Biland 3i andadjusting screws 92 mounted in the frame of motor 9| maybe extended into contact: with thewall of said head, :see Figs. 3, 9 and 11.

Itwill be seen, therefore, that essentially the only difference in thetwo. described forms-cf the invention is the power driving means.

While I have illustratedand described the preferre'dembodimentscf my inuentiomit is to be understood that I do, not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed the scope of the invention as defined in the appended (Ila/fin.

Having, thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desirerto. secure by United States Letters Patent :is: a

An eyeball and eyelid device for a doll or the like which comprises a pair of .sin'iulated eye.- halls.:-pivoted on their vertical .axis, a .d-r-iveshaft, :an electric motor to. rotate said shaft slowly, a cam fixed on said shaft, and. having. a plurality of humps extending different distances from the center of the cam, a follower lever rocked different. amounts by said cam, :a universal bar connected to said lever :and also to :said eyeballs. to

roll the latter different amounts, :a lateral spindle located between the eyeballs, a crescent shaped eyelid secured to either end of the spindle and normally covering the upper art: of the eyeball, :springrmeans for maintaining the eyelids References-Cited in the .fileof. this patent STATES PATENTS Number Name Date- 723,761 Thompson Mar. 24, 1908 2,106,383 Wilson Jan. 25, 1938 2336;006 Fisher Nov. 8; 1938 2,220,719 Jentzen Nov. 5, 1940 2,274,694 Henry Mar. 3, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number :Cormtry .Date

22,622 iGreatBritain 71893 9,811 Great Britain 1894 2,869. Great Britain 1914 20,606 France. June-4, .1918

(Addition itosNo. 485,545) 

